NY Post picks wrong running mate for Kerry

NEW YORK -- Dewey defeats ... Gephardt?

The New York Post, in a front page gaffe reminiscent of the 1948 headline wrongly announcing President Truman's defeat, proclaimed Tuesday that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry would select Rep. Dick Gephardt as his running mate.

"KERRY'S CHOICE," read the headline over the Page One "exclusive" story. "Dem picks Gephardt as VP candidate." The story, which ran without a byline, was accompanied by a file photo of the Missouri congressman and the Massachusetts senator.

But then Kerry announced his real choice Tuesday morning: North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Post editor in chief Col Allan said in a statement that he made the decision to go with the Gephardt story based on information that turned out to be inaccurate. He did not elaborate.

"We unreservedly apologize to our readers for the mistake," Allan said.

The paper's Web site replaced the Gephardt report with a story by The Associated Press on Kerry's actual choice.

Last October, after the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox in the American League playoffs, the Post mistakenly ran an editorial bemoaning the home team's loss. Allan blamed that foul-up on a simple production error.

Kerry's selection -- the correct one -- appeared to be reported first by Andrea Mitchell on NBC's "Today" show at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.